Shafaq News/ The population census in Sinuni, part of the Sinjar district, concluded without any reported security issues, according to Subdistrict Director Khadida Choqui, on Friday.
"The process was completed yesterday evening," Choqui told Shafaq News, praising the smooth organization.
However, he voiced concerns about future implications, noting that "more than half of Sinjar’s population remains in displacement camps or outside the district within the Kurdistan Region." Choqui added that census forms require residents to declare their place of residence, “which could lead to complications if displaced individuals are not counted as Sinjar residents.”
The migration also affects the census, according to Choqui, "Around a quarter of the Yazidi community has moved to European countries in recent years due to the 2014 ISIS invasion. Their names were not included in the census records."
"This gap poses a threat to the future of Yazidis in Iraq," he warned, cautioning about potential repercussions on Yazidi representation in population statistics over the next decade.
The Yazidis, an ancient religious minority in northern Iraq, were deeply affected by the 2014 ISIS invasion. Before the attacks, their population in Sinjar was estimated at 500,000. Today, approximately 360,000 Yazidis remain internally displaced within Iraq, many residing in camps in the Kurdistan Region due to continued instability and lack of infrastructure in Sinjar.
Additionally, over 120,000 Yazidis have migrated to Western countries, including the United States, Canada, and various European nations.